Global War on Terror wall coming to Springfield

The Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance traveling memorial will make its first appearance in Illinois from Thursday through Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.

The memorial may be viewed 24 hours a day starting at noon Thursday. It's part of the 72nd Annual AMVETS Department of Illinois Convention.

The two-sided, 32-panel memorial is 110 feet long and 6 feet high. One side features a timeline about the global war on terror spanning 1983 to the present. The other side bears the names of more than 11,000 military personnel and civilians who have been killed in Beirut, the Gulf War, the 9/11 attacks, Iraq, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Boston, Chattanooga, Paris, San Bernardino and numerous other locations.

The wall is sponsored by the Rear Area Support Foundation Inc. and has now traveled more than 100,000 miles and been displayed in 35 states. It was developed by former U.S. Marine Richard “JR” Nichols, with the help of fellow Marine David Brown, who both promised that the memorial would travel to within 50 miles of each fallen person whose name is inscribed on it.

Derek Hendershot is a California resident and foundation volunteer who has been the primary driver for the memorial as it makes its way across the country.

“We have been on the road since 2013 from Memorial Day through Veterans Day,” Hendershot said. “We have seen thousands of people come to the wall, talking about the hardships they face every day, and the healing power of the wall has helped them turn their lives around. It's been a godsend.”

The wall has special significance for Hendershot, a former Marine whose buddy was killed in Iraq. Hendershot was having difficulty dealing with the loss until he experienced the wall, and then he decided to join the cause.

Hendershot said he's witnessed the wall's effect on other veterans. The one he remembers most occurred less than two weeks ago over the Memorial Day weekend.

Marine Rafael Peralta was killed in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004 when he covered a grenade with his body, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions, and a new U.S. Navy destroyer was named after him. One of the men whose lives he saved visited the wall and asked Hendershot where he could find Peralta's name.

“I mean, if you saw this dude in an alley, you would not cross him, but he emotionally broke down when he saw that name on the wall,” Hendershot said. “Because Rafael Peralta took the grenade that was meant for him.

“This guy had contemplated suicide and a bunch of different things, and he has a wife and kids. And that's the hard part. When he came to the wall, he had his head down, and he left the wall with his head up.

“It's very hard to take a veteran back to that spot, to that moment that changed their world, back to being in combat. But as veterans, we work together, we are there for each other. I have also had to take children who are now 5 or 6 years old who have never seen their dad, and show them the name of their father on the wall.”

Hendershot will speak about the wall and its significance at the AMVETS Convention Stars and Stripes Luncheon on Saturday, at 11:30 a.m.

Motorcycle riders are invited to join the escort that brings the wall into town on Thursday, according to Crystal Blakeman of Illinois AMVETS. Riders should meet at 9 a.m. in the Meijer Store parking lot off of Interstate 72, with a departure to the Crowne Plaza at 9:45 a.m. The wall will arrive at the Crowne Plaza at 10 a.m.

Blakeman said the official escort will consist of Illinois AMVETS Riders, the Springfield Police Department, Springfield Fire Department and Patriot Guard.

“This wall is unique because it focuses on the different conflicts that fall under the global war on terrorism,” Blakeman said. “One of the things about this wall, in addition to our fallen heroes, it also lists those who lost their lives during 9/11, the first-responders. So there are those names on this wall as well.”

Those first-responders' names are significant to the Illinois AMVETS Department Commander Richard Shea Jr., according to AMVETS spokeswoman Ashley Murphy.

“It is close to our commander's heart because he is a Chicago firefighter,” Murphy said. “He had an opportunity to visit the wall in California, and it was a powerful experience for him.”

“We needed a whole cadre of volunteers to maintain the round-the-clock vigil at the Crowne Plaza this weekend, and we have gotten a great response for that,” Murphy added. “It's really going to be a healing event, to go and see the names and recognize the sacrifices these men and women have made for our country.”

The Placentia, California-based nonprofit Rear Area Support Foundation, which tours the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance traveling memorial, also operates the Vision 2 Victory veteran wish-granting program, the peer-to-peer Veteran Suicide prevention helpline, and the #HangWithHeroes adoption program. Visit www.rearareasupport.org for more information.

The AMVETS Department of Illinois has been an organization of veterans serving veterans since 1945. For more information about AMVETS or the 72nd Annual Department of Illinois Convention, visit www.ilamvets.org.

-- Contact David Blanchette through the metro desk: 788-1517.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Information

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The State Journal-Register ~ Street address: One Copley Plaza (corner of Ninth Street and Capitol Avenue), Springfield, ILMailing address: The State Journal-Register, P.O. Box 219, Springfield, IL 62705-0219 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service